Adjustable spring clamp for earrings



Feb. 13, 1962 H. E'. WITHERS 3,020,734

ADJUSTABLE SPRING CLAMP FOR EARRINGS Filed April 25, 1960 l f g" "I F I G. 3

INVENTOR.

HAROLD E. W/THERS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,020,734 ADJUSTABLE SPRING CLAMP FOR EARRINGS Harold E. Withers, 30 Massachusetts Ave., Poland 14, Ohio Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,433 1 Claim. (Cl. 6314) This invention relates to earrings and more particularly to an improved adjustable spring clamp therefor.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable spring clamp mounting for an earring.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spring clamp mounting for an earring which may be moved easily to vary the effective tension of the spring clamp employed for holding the earring in place on a wearers ear.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved spring clamp for an earring that may be economically manufactured.

The earring disclosed herein is of the type in which a spring clamp is employed for mounting the earring on the ear lobe of the wearer. In earrings of the clamp-on type heretofore known in the art, the clamping member has frequently taken the form of a leaf spring, one portion of which is fixed with respect to the earring so that a fixed degree of tension is always present in the clamping device. Such earrings are often unsatisfactory for the reason that the degree of tension is either too great or too little. In the event that the spring member produces too great a tension, the earring proves to be uncomfortable to wear and in the event that the tension is too little the earring is not secured to the wearers ear lobe and the earring frequently changes position or comes away from the ear lobe completely.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an earring of the clamp-on type in which the point of engagement between the spring member and the earring may be varied so that the relative tension of the spring member with respect to its proximity to the earring may be varied while at the same time maintaining suflicient tension to hold the earring on the wearers ear lobe.

In clamp-on earrings it is important that the clamping device be inconspicuous and at the same time capable of being easily manipulated. The device disclosed herein is easily operated to preposition the clamping arm with respect to the earring and the mechanism by which it is adjustably positioned on the earring is neat and attractive.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intension to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale showing an earring with the improved adjustable clamping member.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of FIG URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular it will be seen that an earring of the clamp-on type has been disclosed which includes an earring ornament mounted on a support arm 11 which is generally L shaped and the horizontal portion 12 of which has a bifurcated end section forming a pair of spaced extensions 13 and 14 each of which has an upturned apertured bracket 15 and 16 respectively formed there on. The apertured brackets 15 and 16 are positioned vertically so that a horizontal center line may be extended through the apertures therein. The central portion of the horizontal section 12 of the support arm 11 has an upwardly extended arcuate member 17 thereon, one surface of which is serrated as at 18. It will be observed that the arcuate member 17 may be conveniently formed from a section of the metal of the horizontal portion 12 of the support arm 11, as best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The uppermost part of the support arm 11 has a rounded or bowed section 19 which is adapted to be positioned on the front side of the ear lobe of the wearer. A spring arm 20 has an upper end portion including a bowed section 21 that is positioned in spaced oppositely disposed relation to the bowed section 19 heretofore referred to and is adapted to be engaged against the back side of the wearers ear lobe.

The spring arm 20 has separate side sections which are provided with outturned ends 22 engaged in the apertures in the brackets-15 and 16 heretofore referred to. The spring arm 20 is therefore pivotally mounted with respect to the brackets 15 and 16 of the support arm 11. The center section of the spring arm 20 which is positioned between the separate side sections thereof is curved and has its lower end 23 formed in a radius as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. The outermost end portions of the radius are provided with a serrated surface 24 which is positioned in engaging relation to the serrated surface 18 of the arcuate member 17 on the horizontal portion 12 of the support arm 11. It will thus be seen that the spring arm 20 can be moved to several different positions while the serrated surfaces 24 and 28 will remain engaged and thereby hold the lower end of the spring arm 20 with respect to the support arm 11 of the earring. This adjustable mounting does not affect the spring action or tension of the spring arm 20, as may be observed by referring to FIGURE 2 wherein an alternative position of the spring arm 20 is shown in broken lines. In the position shown in broken lines and in the position shown in solid lines the spring arm 20 will still have the same resiliency relative to the support arm 11 of the earring.

It will thus be seen that the relative positioning of the upper end of the spring arm 20 to the upper end of the mounting arm 11 of the earring may be varied to suit the individual wearing the earring while retaining the full resiliency of the spring arm 20.

The ornament 10 of the earring may comprise any desired form or object and is not necessarily limited to the particular disc shaped ornament shown.

In FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the pivotal mounting of the outturned ends 22 of the separate side sections of the spring arm 20 may be seen and it will be noted that they are positioned on the center line of the radius on which the lower end 23 of the spring arm 20 is formed. This formation of the end portion 23 of the spring arm 20 always positions the serrated surface 24 thereon in operative relation to the serrated surface 17 on the arcuate member 17 of the support arm 11 of the earring.

It will thus be seen that an adjustable spring clamp for an earring has been disclosed which meets the several objects of my invention and having thus described my invention what I claim is:

An earring having a support arm with an ornament thereon, an arcuate member and a pair of spaced oppositely disposed apertured brackets on said support arm, one surface of said arcuate member being serrated, a spring arm having separate spaced side sections the ends of which are axially aligned, outturned and pivotally engaged in said apertured brackets, said spring arm hav- Patented Feb. 13, 1962- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bennett July 16, 1935 Placco Mar. 5, 1940 Feingold July 30, 1956 Saccoccio Feb. 7, 1956 

